Electric fire-engine system.



C. LOEFFLER.

ELECTRIC FIRE ENGINE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED .NOV. 16, 1914.

1,1 60,422. Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

awucmtov' MUIIM MW" COuWA-DIIW D. C.

.0. LOEFFLER.

ELECTRIC FIRE ENGINE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 19H.

Patented Nov. 16; 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES LOEFFLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' ELECTRICFinE-ENeINEsYsimvn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Application filed November IG, 1914. Serial No. 872,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat 1, CHARLES LOEFFLER, a

citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State-of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in following is a specification.-

My invention relates to improvements in electric fire engine systems, thexobject ot the invention being to provide a fire engine: supporting an electric motor for-operating: the pump, and provide an improved system of electric distribution, whereby the electric. currentfrom the system can be utilized only when the valve controlling the water plug is opened. 1

A further object is to provide an improved electric control located within the Electric Fire-Engine SVstems,*of' which the:-

ordinary water plug, the movement of thevalve of the plug to closed position causing causing the closing of the electric circuit, $0 that the current may be utilized for drivlng the motor of the engine and cannot be used for any'purpose except when the water is ing accidental electric shock.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in certain novel features of construction and COIIlblIlttlOIlSilIld arrrangements of parts as will be more fully claims.--- I In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a-view in-elevation illustrating my improved fire engine showlng the samev connected' to the waterplug. Fig. 2 is a @view.

7 in transverse section through the hosecon-- necting the plug with the-pumpof the engine. Fig. 3 is a view 111 vertical-longitudinal section through the water plug. Fig. 4; is a-V18W =1 I1 vertical section: on an enlarged scale onthe line 4 t'of Fig 3. uFigtuo is a view in section on the line 5+5 of'iFig.

3 showing. a portion of thercasing broken away, and Fig. 6 is an electric diagram.

1 represents a wheeled vehicle whichwpreferably comprises an automobile, but my invention is not limited to the particular vehicle employed, as I may use my improvements in connection with other styles of vehicle as well. The vehicle 1 supportsa pump 2 driven by an electric motor 3.

' together. i

4' is a hose connecting the pump with the The plug?) may be of anysuitable constructionsuch ascommonly employed ion use in case of fire. In the drawings 1 have illustrated a plugin i which the water isdirectedvthrough a pipe 7, to a discharge outlet 8,-the latternorma-llyclosed by-a-ren1ov-- able screw-threadedcap-9. a

A valve-l0controls the flow of water,

z and is connected to varota-ry stem 11, the :latter having a screw-threaded portion 12- engaginginternal threads in a sleeve 13, s0- that when the stem is turned, the: valve 10 :is caused to raise andlowen I Thestem 11' is made angular at its upper end as shown at-ltfor the-reception ota crank arm 15 .orowrenclrto turn the same. The plug inits upper portion is formed with the opening of the electric-circuit, and the movement of the valve to open position a chamber 16 which is entirely cut ofi' from my improved electric contacts 17, 17. 1 These contacts,l7,. l7 areipivotailly supported at V theirwupper ends on pinsfll'slocated ina box-19, the latter secured to the'inner'face turned" on,--thereby preventing fraudulent use of the electric current, and also preventr of the waterplug. 5.. v i

Thepinsellbbare preferably inclosed by '1 insulating sleeves 20 so that-the contactsill are-thoroughly vinsulated. from their ..sup-.

at 21, and/.coiledasprings 22cbear against the contacts and tend. always to press them 23-.isca.. lever composed of non-conducting material avhich; is .pivotally supportednbe-i.

tween its ends-0n. a depending. lug .Qiintegralwith ailaterally projecting. arm 25.0n. boxw1 9. A] coiledspring 26 is==locatedrat the outer end of the arml25, and exerts. a.

downward pressure on the end of thelever 23 .tendi'ngalways to press one endof the.

lever between; the contacts .17.. and. separate the latter to..open.the electric circuit as will be hereinafter; explained. 01 0 facilitate. the.

entrance 10f: the .lever 23 between the, con.-

tacts, .the upperface Ofnsilld .lever at its ends is abeveled as shown at29, so that it readilyfinds an. entrance between the flared.

endsaof the contacts. a. .1

On the stem 11, a collar 30 is fixed, and this-collar engages one .end of the lever 23 when the stem is moved upwardly to open valve 10. This upward movement of the stem 11 causes the lever 23 to fulcrum and to move downwardly from its position between the contacts 17, allowing springs 22 to move the contacts together. stem 11 is moved downwardly to close the valve 10, the spring 26 will return the lever 23 to its position between the contacts 17 as clearly shown.

31 represents an electric conduit containing two line wires 32 and 33. A wire 3% connects the wire 33 with one of the contacts 17. A second wire 35 connects the other contact 17 with a terminal contact 36 located in a terminal socket 37 on the outside of the water plug 5.

A wire 38 connects the line wire 32 with the other contact 39 in the terminal socket 37. The hose l which connects the water plug 5 with the motor 2 is preferably provided with a strip IO of canvas inclosing a flexible tube ll containing two electric wires connected to themotor 2.

At one end of the flexible tube 41, a plug 42 is provided which is adapted to be positioned in the terminal socket 37 and connect the contacts in the socket with the electric motor. The other end of the tube a1 is also provided with a plug as to enter a socket 4e connected to the electric motor he hose 4: is provided at its ends with ordinary pipe couplings 45, so that it can be readily connected to the pump and to the plug. It will be noted that with my improved arrangement of parts, that when the valve 10 is closed, the electric circuit to the contacts 36 and 39 of the terminal socket 37 is open, and no current can be used either through. accident or design.

When the engine arrives and connects the pump 2 with the plug 5 by means of the hose 4:, and also makes the necessary electrical connections, the upward movement of the valve 10 by means of the stem 11 will cause the operation of the lever 23 to permit the contacts 17 to move together and close the circuit, so that a supply of electricity may be had to the motor to drive the pump. As soon as the water is shut oil, the circuit will be automatically broken, so that there will be no waste of current.

In Fig. 6, I show an electric diagram illustrating how a number or" plugs may be connected to the same line wires, and with myimproved system, this plan may be carried out for any number of plugs.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider When the myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a water plug having means thereon for the attachment of a hose, and having pivoted terminal spring-pressed electric contacts closing an electric circuit when together, a vertically movable valve stem, and a lever of insulating material normally spring-pressed into position between the contacts to open the circuit, and movable by the stem out of position between the contacts when the stem moves in a direction to allow a flow of water through the plug, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a water plug having means thereon for the attachment of a hose, and having terminal electric contacts, a valve in the water plug controlling the flow of water therethrough, spring-pressed contacts in the plug connected to the terminal contacts, and included in circuit with a source of electricity, a stem on said valve movable longitudinally to open and close the valve, and a lever of non-conducting material controlled by the stem and adapted to separate the contacts when the valve is closed, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a water plug having means thereon for the attachment of a hose, and having terminal electric contacts, a valve in the wa-. ter plug controlling the flow 01": water therethrough, springpressed contacts in the plug connected to the terminal contacts, and included in circuit with a source 01: electricity, a stem on said valve movable longitudinally to open and close the valve, a lever 01": nonconducting material pivotally supported between its ends, a spring exerting pressure on the lever and normally holding the same between the said contacts, separating the latter, and a collar on the valve stem engaging the lever and adapted when the stem is moved in a direction to open the valve to IHOXG said lever from between the contacts,

CHARLES LOEFFLER.

lVitnesses L. P. MoYnR, S. IV. FOSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

